Benefits Of Volunteering During School Days
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour often for community service.
Children start learning from a very early age.The best age for volunteering is when you are in school.Volunteering in school days offers various benefits such as developing leadership skills,fostering a sense of community,enhancing social skills,gaining real world experience.
As quoted by Mahatma Gandhiji,”The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself to the service of others.” Leadership skills are developed as volunteering provides opportunities to take on responsibilities,make decisions and guide others. Leading projects,coordinating with team members and problem solving during volunteer activities helps in developing confidence,decision making abilities and effective communication.
Volunteering fosters a sense of community by connecting individuals through shared goals and experiences,collaborating on projects whether it is helping the less fortunate or organizing events and creates bonds among student volunteers.It enhances a feeling of belonging and solidarity among students volunteers. It enhances their social skills and also promotes empathy. They also learn essential life skills like adapting to changes, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Students can engage in volunteering through school clubs, NGOs, and community service centres to organise events, provide academic support to the needy, assist in discipline upkeep in their school and also engage in environmental initi- atives like tree plantation drives, cleanup campaigns, etc.
To make volunteering more enriching, it is important to match one's interests with the activities. SUPW (Socially Useful Pro ductive Work) projects offered in some school boards and col- leges give an opportunity for environmental and social expo- sure to students. This helps students understand societal needs and inculcates a positive mindset which adds impetus to building 4 capacities: Being a successful learner, a confident individual, an effective contributor and becoming a responsi- ble citizen.
Student learning through volunteering embodies the mantra "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Being philan- thropists in the making, they could be future eminent change- makers like Ratan Tata, Shiv Nadar, Sudha Murty, Mr Poonawala, etc. Starting volunteering early instils in them a deep sense of societal responsibility, emphasising that anyone could contribute to society, regardless of their status or wealth.
In the words of Swami Vivekananda "Service to Humanity is service to God. Dedicate your action for the wellbeing of others and you will find true meaning of life."
Last but not least, volunteering helps to learn new skills and gain a sense of accomplishment and pride.